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A Cry For Help: The Fantastic Adventures of Elian Gonzalez

by Frank Senauth

68 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #00-0105; ISBN 1-55212-440-1; US$18.00, C$20.50, EUR15.00, £10.50

A Cry For Help: The Adventures of Elian Gonzalez blends fact and fable as the story of the boat people sailing from Cuba to Florida is told.

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about the book      about the author      excerpt      catalogue info

About the Book A Cry For Help: The Adventures of Elian Gonzalez is a blend of fantasy and fiction as the epic journey of Elian Gonzalez from Cuba to Miami is portrayed in a detailed and fascinating light. As Elian and his traveling comrades took their chance on the dangerous crossing, a great storm came up, swallowing all save for Elian, saved only when he was placed onto an inner tube and he floated to safety. A Cry For Help is indeed a timely and fascinating novel.

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About the Author

Frank Senauth was born in Guyana, South America. As a teen he had two wishes: one was to write and the other to travel. His first wish came true in 1959 when he was able to venture out to London, England, where he worked and studied. In 1973 he felt that Canada held better prospects for him and he subsequently immigrated to Winnipeg, Canada. He worked at several jobs until he was able to start his own real estate business.

In 1986 he retired from the business, and decided to pursue the second wish of his boyhood dream. Having the leisure and the means to pursue a writing career, he took up several creative writing courses in children's and adult literature in Canada and the United States. He had no idea that it would have taken him ten long years' of hard work and dedication to bring his creative writing to life, making the second wish of his boyhood dream nearer to reality. He really wanted to write to entertain his audience, and make them feel that they were part of the story. He felt without an audience there would be no story to tell.

Senauth feels that creative writing has changed somewhat throughout the years, and that he has learnt to write for an audience rather than himself. After many years of developing his prose, he felt ready to take on the world with his fascinating writing. His first idea for a novel was A Wish To Die -- A Will To Live, published in the United Kingdom in October 1997. His previous work, To Save The Titanic From Disaster II is also available from Trafford. The author lives in Winnipeg with his wife Maria and teenage son Anthony.

The author hopes that you'll enjoy reading his work, as much as he has enjoyed writing for you, the wonderful public, because without you there would be no one to write for.

Also by Frank Senauth:

Also by Frank Senauth:
To Save the Titanic from Disaster II
A Day of Terror: The Sagas of 11th September 2001
A Wish to Die - A Will to Live
The Command (Segments of the War in Iraq 2003
Cold Days of the Snipers

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Excerpt

"A large wave is coming at us," Mr. Lopez shouted. They knew the large wave would surely send every one over into the ocean to fend for themselves. Then the sweep of the large twenty-five foot wave sent every one in the boat into the ocean. The inner tube with Elian was first to be swept away over board, then all the occupants were cast overboard. The children screamed as they were cast into the cold ocean. Those adults and children who couldn't swim were first to go under, and only four persons were left clinging to the upside boat, two of those were Roberto and Elizabeth. Roberto went nearer to comfort his beloved, Elizabeth. He felt responsible for getting her into the situation of no return, but he knew there was nothing he could do to save her or himself from their predicament. The situation now was a do or to die situation. There would be no help - no one knew they had left Cuba - they had left secretively. He knew there was no way of reversing the whole ordeal; their very lives had now come to an abrupt end.

Elizabeth was in the cold water and she had no idea what was happening as she was somewhat distraught in the cold ocean of death. She knew she was about to die with her other friends; she felt at least she would not die alone. Roberto was with her and they would both die together. In her great plight she forgot about Elian who was on the inner tube in the ocean and may be on his way to freedom and safety. She tried her best to see where he had got to - but the waves prevented her from doing so.

"Please angel of mercy, save my son. Let him live. Let him be. Let him live in the US. Let someone nice look after him. Whoever that person would be, I'll guide him or her. I won't let my spirit die," Elizabeth said under her tears. She clung to the boat, then she pulled off her rosary from her neck, and held it in her right hand; she closed her eyes and said a small prayer.

"Please Great One above save my son and take me instead. I want him to live the good life in the land of freedom. I love you, Elian, wherever you are now," she said quickly.

"Beth we are together now," Roberto said to Beth. He wanted to assure her that he was with her all the way.

"Yes, we are together, Roberto. I guess you'll never get the chance to ask me," she said without thinking.

"Ask you what?" he asked curiously.

"For my hand in marriage," she told him.

"I guess not, Beth, but will you marry me," Roberto asked on the spur of the moment.

"Yes, Roberto. I love you and I want us to be together forever."

"Yes, my pet dove, now we'll be together forever. Our time is near," Roberto said and held close to his beloved Beth.

"Yes, Roberto, forever - we'll be together," she said, then she divided herself, then she held tightly in her right hand the rosary she had pulled off her neck before. She felt if she held the sacred beads in her hand tightly, then that would set her soul free. She closed her eyes and said a small prayer quickly for both her and Roberto. She realized the end was near. Roberto saw the giant wave coming towards them and he held his breath, and also held his beloved Beth close to him. If they were going to go under they would go under in each other's arms. Elizabeth was unable to see the second large wave that swallowed Elizabeth, Roberto and the two other inhabitants who were clinging to the upside boat. The large wave had left no trace that any one had ever been there. Their journey of a life-time had ended up in disaster. Then it was for whom the bells tolled for? They were tolling for the ten wonderful citizens of Cuba who had just perished in the ocean of deep. The ocean giveth - the ocean taketh.

The promise child, Elian clung to his inner tube as his very life depended upon it. It went up and down on the waves for several hours. He felt sick from the up and down movements of the ocean, but he was glad that he was alive on the inner tube. He felt he would have enjoyed the up and down movements of the inner tube if it were a joy ride somewhere other than the ocean, but it was a life and death ride out in the Atlantic Ocean. He knew not many small boys at the age of five got a chance to ride the waves as he was doing. At first the waves went all over him and he was soaked to the bone. He felt it was a good thing that they had strapped him onto the inner tube on his belly for safety, otherwise, he would have gone under in the ocean. If he were placed on his back, he would have drank a lot of salt water and maybe the water would have drowned him on the inner tube. Then for some strange reason when it became calmer on the ocean that night, he fell asleep. Then when morning came he opened his eyes and the ocean was calm and bright. There was no rocking on the inner tube; it was smooth sailing in the ocean. He was thirsty, hungry and traumatised, and for some strange and magical reasons, what kept him alive was the last glimpse of his mother's beautiful face. He remember her last words, "I love you, Elian." The mere thought of her in the ocean made him cry; he realized she could be anywhere in the ocean. He had no idea if he would ever see her again, but he sensed for some strange reason that the ocean might have taken his mother away from him, and the dreadful thought of losing her made him felt sick on the inner tube.

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Catalogue Information

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